Abstract

Percutaneous coronary intervention in acute unprotected left main coronary artery disease: Provisional strategy or two-stent technique?

Author(s): Ercan Aydin, Salih Sahinkus, Muhammet Necati Murat Aksoy

Background: Primary percutaneous coronary intervention in acute unprotected left main coronary artery disease, however, tends to be a complex procedure as it lasts longer, requires more expertise, and frequently involves critical bifurcation and often results in more than one stent. Here we present a retrospective analysis of a specific group of patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention in our center.

Methods: Retrospectively 55 patients with unprotected left main coronary artery lesions and acute coronary syndrome diagnosis treated with per cutaneous coronary intervention were identified: The two-stent technique was applied in 28 cases, and provisional stenting (PS) was applied in 27 cases.

Results: Current smoking (82.1% vs. 48.1%, p=0.007), prior myocardial infarction (35.7% vs. 7.4%, p=0.010) and prior coronary stent implantation history (28.6% vs. 3.7%, p=0.012) were more common in the two-stent technique group. While procedure duration was higher in the two-stent technique group compared to PS (58.21 vs. 33.15, p<0.001), door-balloon time was lower (29.7 vs. 42.1, p=0.006). However, creatinine levels 48-72 hours post-procedure (1.08 vs. 1.33, p=0.422) and in-hospital mortality rates were similar between the two groups (28.6% vs. 14.8%, p=0.229).

Conclusion: In the treatment of acute unprotected left main coronary artery with percutaneous coronary intervention, two-stent technique is a viable, effective and safe strategy as it has similar contrast-induced nephropathy and mortality rates compared to provisional strategy.